


Rightful King

by chosuiri



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Fire Emblem AU, Gen, all the characters (except zool and ryo) are here but i'll add them as they show up in the story, loosely based off fire emblem awakening mechanics, lord nagi! what more can you want?, well. they can be added as dlc maybe in the future
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-04-22 21:04:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14317122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chosuiri/pseuds/chosuiri
Summary: Dissatisfied with his older brother's disregard for what threatens Northmare, Nagi leaves the castle to help his kingdom on the brink of war with the Kingdom of Eight Blades. With only a prophecy from his friend, Haruki, and his most trusted butler, George, he seeks the bearer of the rightful brand to find a way to save his kingdom from ruin.//an idolish7 fire emblem au.





	1. prologue: farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh man i'm really excited... this is the fire emblem au i've been working on for the past couple months! i've plotted most of the story out, well, vaguely, and i'm excited to put out this fic!  
> i'll keep continuing this as a project for myself since i LOVE this au, so i'll keep updating when i have time to finish it.
> 
> that being said, please enjoy!

As soon as he enters his bedroom, he pulls out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. He sets it on his nightstand right next to the candle, and unfolds it. After reading, he pushes the flimsy piece of paper against his chest, closing his eyes as he commits it to memory. “Haruki…” he whispers, smiling blithely as he folds the letter up again and places it back into his pocket for safekeeping.

He then looks around his room, assuring himself that all his belongings have been collected and packed for his own journey. Tonight, he’ll flee the castle and raise an army for the sake of protecting Northmare and its people. He flashes a fond smile at the room he has slept in one last time before blowing a candle out, shrouding it in complete darkness. He stands there, forcing his eyes to adjust to the lack of light. While he so lovingly wants to go into every room and express his farewells, rapping of a fist at his door alerts him of other plans. Right, secretly he must, and for a moment he wonders if he’ll ever see the castle rooms or feel the luxury of royalty ever again.

A runaway prince he may seem, but he’s not as despicable as the prince who proudly stands in his cowardice.

 _Seek the one with the brand,_ he recites internally as he opens the door as quietly as possible, _for they will be the one to save us all_.

“Prince Nagi, may we take our leave?” The butler asks, offering a neatly folded cloak that had been tucked in his arms.

Nagi nods in response to his butler’s inquiry.  He takes the cloak from the other, and unravels it. The cloth wavers in the wind, but he does it in a single instance. Pulling the hood over his face, he smiles, “yes. Let's make haste.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tomorrow i'll post the next chapter! (i'm still writing the 2nd chapter tho so that'll take a while lol)  
> thank you for reading! if you have any questions, you can just ask here or find me on twitter @shineonthesea!  
> classes will be revealed as we go on, and yes, i will be implementing supports within each chapter. the prologue just doesn't have any since george will not being having supports with anyone. i don't exactly have that much information on him, but that can change if you guys like george enough? lol


	2. chapter 1: branded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoy this chapter!

After walking through the night and resting in the outskirts of the castle, the two resume their journey. However, the butler comes to a gradual stop, alerting Nagi of possible danger. “George, what's wrong? Gods! Don't tell me someone from the castle--?”

George shakes his head, “that's not the case, your majesty. This may as well be the first rescue of yours. There seem to be bandits ahead, perhaps someone is caught up in a conflict.”

Nagi smiles, unsheathing his sword and charging ahead, “I hope it's a lovely mademoiselle!” Mere bandits aren't the threat he hopes to eliminate, but they are a big problem throughout the kingdom. They form out of desperation and possibly poverty that has surely stricken Northmare under his elder brother's heinous rule.

The two catch up to where the source of all the ruckus is from, which per George's suspicions, are a band of unruly bandits surrounding an innocent person. Nagi pauses as soon as he arrives to the scene, and stares at the one in the midst of the conflict. For a moment, it feels almost ethereal and time stops. Nagi’s heart begins to pound, and he wonders excitedly to himself if this is his encounter with his dear princess. However, his smile quickly fades when the figure turns around, revealing himself to be a boy. The prince’s shoulders sloop, his bravado quickly drained away as he notes that the one he is to save is indeed a male.

To have this sort of fated meeting, though… it's distasteful to have such an experience with another man! He huffs, but shakes off his reluctance as he swoops in to block an attack aimed at the other. “Please stand back!” He exclaims, turning around for a moment to send the other a reassuring smile.

“T-Thank you,” the other replies, “um, I can't exactly fight, but I can heal you up super quick!” He smiles, as he confidently lifts up his staff. Nagi really can't get mad at him, now can he? Even in the middle of a battle, Nagi manages to get a quick assessment of him-- he seems to be a priest, which has healing may come in handy so that George can solely focus on attacking.

Nagi bobs his head in acknowledgement, and with George, he manages to take down the rest of the bandits. Upon defeating all the lackeys and making it through the terrain of the battle, he spots the bandit leader with a churlish mien and looking undignified as he recklessly swings around his axe. Really, no sense of tact with these fools. Nagi approaches him, and takes his sword out again. “Mind telling me what's this business about? Attacking a priest in the first place-- men like you have no morals, yes?”

“Whaddya want? It's none of yer business.” The bandit leader sneers in return, “ya just tryin’ to parade around as some sort of hero? This kid just looks like he'd be loaded, that's all.” He shrugs, and then charges at Nagi, who is unable to react in time. He sustains the blow, and it seems to be stronger than he would like to admit. He curses to himself, and nurses the injury with his hand.

The other boy frantically hurries over, and with a wave of his staff and the calling of a spell, Nagi feels his wound disappear as his strength is restored. “Thank you! Now, for my revenge…”

Nagi’s gaze narrows, and he jumps up to deal a harrowing blow at the bandit leader, his skill activating a critical hit. “LOVE LOVE FINISHERRRRR!” He screams, and the name alone helps catch their enemy off guard, rendering him unable to defend. His attack connects, thankfully, and the bandit leader lands on the ground with a harsh thud.

The prince stands from above, and points at him with his sword, “there are plenty of things you can do with your time aside from terrorizing innocent lives. This kingdom will change, good sir. It’s up to you to change with it.” After saying his piece, he smiles pleasantly and withdraws his blade. He spares him, confident that somehow his advice is resonant enough to make the brigand desire a lifestyle change, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll be attacking others anytime soon.

Unnerved by what he supposes is an admiring gaze, Nagi turns on his feet to be met with the doe-like eyes of the priest he saved. Now that he has the chance, he examines the boy. He has a rather asymmetric hairstyle, but it’s offset by the peculiar bright red shade it shines along with glimmering ruby red eyes. His gaze softens, knowing that the boy seems kind enough. Upon closer inspection, he notices a familiar image in his right eye. Now, what could that be about?

Before Nagi has a chance to ask him about it, the redhead interjects. “You looked super cool out there! I can’t use a sword, so I’m jealous.” He enthuses, but quickly turns flustered with a look of surprise. “Right, um… I’m Riku Nanase. I am on a journey to find my twin brother. I need some help, so I want to ask if I can travel with you! I can heal you up in a jiffy, like I said before!”

Nagi pauses, nodding along idly as he tries to identify the brand in his eyes. If he already has found the predicted hero, then his job will be simple. However, the mark in the boy’s eye is not very much like the one he remembers. It must not mean much, then?

George arrives from dealing with the last of the bandits, and joins Nagi on his side. He seems to grasp the question Riku is trying to make, and exchanges glances with Nagi. “Master, it’s up to you. However, if I may give my own input, I would think it’ll be well worth to acquire some allies on the way.”

Nagi nods, and sticks a hand out. “Very well. Let’s have fun together, Riku!”

Riku’s smile widens, and he grabs Nagi’s hand excitedly. “Yay! Please take care of me from now on!”

The two shake in their agreement, and Nagi frantically looks at his butler. “Do I have to knight him now?”

“That's not how you make a retainer,” George corrects him with a sigh, “Mr. Nanase will be your friend, right?”

“Friends…” Nagi murmurs, eyes flickering between his butler and his newly acquired ally. Honestly, he's never had much male friends since he has always been the subject of men’s envy, even his own brother’s. He smiles, and rubs the back of his neck, “yes! We are friends now!”

“Friends? Okay!” Riku pauses, and his eyes still are wide with some sort of amazement. “You had that hood and everything, but now I look at you some more… you must be the second prince of Northmare, right? You're Prince Nagi Rokuya, right?”

Nagi is taken aback and tenses up, but he relaxes almost immediately. He's made his resolve to save his kingdom as himself. There's no need to hide anymore. His smile softens, and he nods. He places a hand on his chest, “yes. I am Nagi Rokuya. However, Riku, please just call me Nagi.”

Riku hesitates, probably balking at the fact that Riku will have to drop his honorific. “Is that fine? I guess if we're friends… Nagi!”

“Yes, that's me!”

* * *

  **> STARTING SUPPORT LOG...**

 **Riku:** Hey, you know how you shouted **_LOVE LOVE FINISHER_ ** earlier? That sounded just like a hero!

 **Nagi:** Yes! It’s the finishing move of Magical Girl Cocona!

 **Riku:** Oh! Is that a book series?

 **Nagi:** No, not just that!

 **Riku:** Huh?

 **Nagi:** Magical Cocona is… A WAY OF LIFE!

 **Riku:** I don't really get it, but it sounds fun.

 **Nagi:** Yes! You must read it some time, Riku. It’s very good!

 **Riku:** Haha, really? I love to read! I was stuck at the monastery for most of my life, and besides studying, I liked to read about great heroes.

 **Nagi:** (It seems we must be similar in that. The only time I was allowed to experience the outside world is when I get to visit the local village, but even then I'm only allowed to do that so little.)

 **Nagi:** (If it wasn't for Haruki, I wouldn't have even known…)

 **Riku:** … Nagi?

 **Nagi:** MagiCona has a charming heroine.

 **Nagi:** I think we both want to be what we admire the most.

 **Riku:** Heroes, right? Let's do our best so we're the ones to save the world!

 **Nagi:** Oh! Yes, we will be heroes! Now, Riku! Allow me to lend you my copies of MagiCona! I’ll be back!

 **Riku:** Ah, s-sure…

 **Riku:** (Nagi seems to be hiding something… he got all serious there for a second.)

 **Riku:** (Saving the world, huh… It’d be nice if I could be capable of that!)

**Nagi and Riku have reached C Support.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to keep track i'll have our party at the end of each chapter:  
> nagi - lvl. 2 lord  
> george - lvl. 2 butler  
> riku - lvl. 2 priest
> 
> again, george will not be having any supports since he's mostly an extra unit, but hey, if you guys like him, he might get some in the future. supports will be implemented at the end of every chapter and in some cases, dispersed through the chapter. this will happen especially as we get more and more characters, but for now it'll be pretty sparse. nagi and riku's support won't advance so fast as you may think, since i'm planning to have them reach a support /only/ when it's the second half of this story. also for the sake of keeping this ship free, there will be no s-supports going on.
> 
> either way, thank you for reading! feel free to ask for more info if you'd like, but i can't reveal everything quite yet. i'm on twitter @shineonthesea!


	3. chapter 2: lost and found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a note, the monsters described in this chapter are very similar to the entombed/mummies from fe:a. I called them ritards (deriving from ritardando (a music term meaning a gradual decrease of tempo), not the slur) for the sake of my music jokes, so... that's all i have to say for rn
> 
> please enjoy the chapter!

After another day of trudging through the outskirts of the castle, the three found themselves safely in the next town. Unfortunately they had run into several more troublemakers on the way, but it acted as more fighting experience for them. 

Riku groans, rubbing his stomach as it growls, “I'm so hungry… thank gods we’re in town. Let's find somewhere to eat! We got plenty of gold from defeating all those bad guys!”

Nagi nods in agreement since he also possesses a rumbling stomach. While George’s cooking had been sufficient, all they had was the meat of a bear they had hunted earlier. Nagi’s royal palette has not been prepared for the likes of gamey meat quite yet… 

“Master, I must go to replenish our inventory. While we have Mr. Nanase, I'm afraid we can't rely on just him for healing.” George bows, raising an eyebrow as he looks at the two of them. “Will it be all right to leave the two of you unattended?”

Nagi nods vigorously, “oh yes! We will be fine, George!”

He eyes them warily, but he nods despite his grievances. “Is that so? Then I will leave it to you, master. Please do make sure to not be so reckless and get yourself into any trouble.”

“Nothing will happen in here. Nagi is pretty strong too, and I can heal him if we need it! We're all good!” Riku pipes in excitedly, leaving George to relent on his concerns. 

“Is that so? I'll trust your word, Mr. Nanase. However if you two run into danger, please call for my name.” He looks straight at Nagi in particular when he says this, “do you understand, master?”

“Of course! George, you can even enjoy yourself and imbibe! Riku and I will be fine!” Nagi insists, putting a dazzling smile on his face as he thinks about the village women he can flirt with when George is out of sight… well, Riku might hinder him as well. 

George shakes his head, and sighs. He finally turns around to head toward the marketplace, but pauses again. “I will be taking my leave now. Please stay on your best behavior, master.” With saying that, he resumes his stride.

Nagi makes sure to watch him until his figure disappears completely, and when it does, he looks excitedly at Riku. “OH… we should get some food first, but I have an idea!”

“What is it?”

“We must find some fair maidens to spr--”

“Hold that thought, Nagi, do you see that fluffy thing over there? I'm going to catch it!” Riku interrupts, breaking out into a run as he chases after the unidentified object.

Dejection strikes Nagi in the midst of his proposal, and he mopes as he tries to chase Riku. “Riku refuses to listen~ and I am absolutely famished..!” Nagi sings his laments to himself, cursing as he then shifts to a running speed to keep up with Riku. Surprisingly, the boy can run pretty fast, although Nagi finds himself catching up with the priest in record time. 

Riku scoops the fluffy lump of  _ something _ in his arms with amazing dexterity, and then skids to a careful stop. Nagi stops his pursuit as well, and inspects the fluffy thing. Notably, the bigger concern was Riku’s wheezing and coughing. The prince worriedly looks over at Riku, “Riku!? Are you all right?”

Riku takes a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling as he tries to return his breathing to normal. He finally settled, and wordlessly offers the fluffball to Nagi. “I think I remembered why I wasn't allowed to hold animals in the past. I really, really like them, but…” He bites his lip, but decides to stay silent after mentioning that, leaving Nagi no clue of the true reason. “Either way, can you hold it?”

“Myu~!” The noise comes out of the fluffy one’s as it jumps out of Riku’s arms, and Nagi hastily arranges his arms to receive the thing. Once it lands safely in Nagi’s arms, he glances at it with a bewildered expression. 

“Myu..? OH, could it be a familiar like in MagiCona?” Nagi exclaims, and Riku shakes his head. 

“That's not it! I think it's a bunny.” He nods, “yeah, I saw them in a book before!” Hesitantly, he extends a hand to stroke the (assumed) bunny’s fur. He laughs, “Nagi, its fur is really soft! Try petting it~!”

Nagi blinks, still unaccustomed to the creature, but he warily starts petting the bunny. A small smile grows on his face, and he continues to stroke it, “you’re right! Oh, how lovely!”

“Kinako!” A voice interrupts the two of them in their temporary bliss, and in front of them appears a man donning a heavy robe and a large brimmed hat resembling one of a mage. He pants, short of breath, upon stopping. He holds out his hands for the rabbit to jump into, and he lets out a sigh. “So that’s where you were… you’re such a troublemaker, you know?” He shakes his head, and pauses in his gentle scolding of the animal.

“Kinako?” Riku mutters, shuffling closer to Nagi to have a more clandestine conversation. Nagi looks just as bewildered, and sadly pats the empty space where Kinako has once been. Oh, how could he ever hold such a warm being ever again?

“Pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself.” The man smiles, “my name is Banri Oogami. My boss’s pet has went missing, so I’m very grateful that the two of you found her for us. We have an inn, so we’d be happy to provide you with rooms as thanks. It also comes with free meals!”

“Free… meals?” Riku enthuses, “that sounds great!” Nagi nods in agreement, and sadly gestures to his own rumbling stomach.

Banri chuckles, “sure. It’s the least we can do for helping us. Now, I hope Miss Tsumugi came back already…”

* * *

“Oh, Banri,” An older man greets the mage as soon as they walk into the inn. The man still looks fairly young, but the wrinkles on his face evince that he must be at least in his 40s. He leans against the counter, opening his eyes as Kinako once against bounces out of Banri’s arms to join the other man at the counter. “You found Kinako? Maybe we should tell Tsumugi that she can come back now.”

“No, Boss, these young men right here found her.” Banri explains, “so I planned on treating them for a meal as thanks. And perhaps a place to stay for the night?”

The one dubbed ‘Boss’ hums for a moment, stroking his chin as if deep in thought. Nagi and Riku glance at each other antsily, oddly intimidated by the man right now. “Sure, why not? However, on one condition…”

“Oh? You can ask us for anything.” Nagi says cheerfully, “we are truly indebted for your kindness.”

Boss shakes his head, “I should be saying that. We can discuss this condition over lunch. By the way, my name is Otoharu Takanashi. Lunch is almost ready, so go ahead and head into the dining room.”

* * *

Nagi and Riku gasps when they see the food laid out on the table. Before digging in, they state their gratitude for the food. Otoharu chuckles from the other side of the table.

“You boys must’ve been very hungry.” Otoharu smiles, “now, my condition… If you don’t mind, can you please find where Tsumugi is and tell her that we found Kinako?”

“Uh, we’ll try our best!” Riku manages between bites of food, and Nagi nods in agreement-- his mouth currently occupied with the task of chewing.

“Excellent. Now I’ll have Banri join you two and help you out. You boys don’t know the area very well, yes?” He smiles, gesturing to the other male.

Banri nods, following up on his suggestion with ease. “Of course. I'm a mage, so I can help with long ranged attacks if necessary. Let's work hard!”

Nagi finishes off his plate, and hums in delight. “OH, is that so? However, do you mean to say that there's danger ahead?”

“Well…” Otoharu begins, opening his eyes as his expression darkens, “recently there have been sightings of monsters. I think they're coming from the Kingdom of Eight Blades. It may be possible that someone has already infiltrated the country to distract us with these creatures.”

Riku’s eyes widen, and his fork clanks cacophonously against his plate. He stirs up from his seat, frenzied as he speaks, “seriously? I actually did encounter some of them, but it was really dark so I just… hid for the night.” He frowns, and unceremoniously plops back down in his seat. “Nagi, if they're terrorizing the people… wait! What if Tsumugi ran into them? She'll be in trouble!” He stands up straight from his seat again, and to that, Banri chuckles. 

“Ahaha, please calm down. She should be able to handle herself for a spell.” He pauses, and peers outside. “In mid-daylight they shouldn't attack, but… we should start searching.”

Otoharu nods in confirmation, “very well. Don't be out there until too dark.”

“Leave it to me, Boss.” Banri affirms, “now, let's get going.”

Nagi seems to stay silent, looking contemplatively down at his food. Riku nudges him out of concern, and shoots him a worried glance. Nagi’s expression softens, “Riku. Do not fret, I am simply just thinking about some things.”

“Like what?” Riku asks,as he idly runs his spoon along the rim of his plate.

“Princely matters,” Nagi smiles, and Riku pouts at the other’s secrecy.

“Now you just make me curious!” Riku exclaims, “but I get it. It’s not the right time to ask, right? We have someone to save first.” 

“That’s right. I’ll clean up here, so you boys should be going on your way.” Otoharu pipes in, gesturing to them to hand him their plates. The two oblige, breaking out of their small banter. “Watch after them, Banri.”

“Yes!”

* * *

Banri raises an eyebrow, and strokes his chin thoughtfully. “She said she was going to be over here… strange.”

Riku bites his lip, clutching tightly to his stave as he looks over at the mage. “Well, Banri-san… did you not hear that? There's something that way.” Riku gestures toward the north, and the three of them stand in silence. The wind rustling through the foliage slows down, and finally the other two flinch from the noise Riku hears. 

“... what is that?” Nagi whispers, grabbing the hilt of his sword and unsheathing it. He aims it in a general direction, but Riku shakes his head. 

“I think the noises are coming from over here. Let's go check it out!” Riku redirects both Nagi and Banri to another set of trees, and the three trudge through it. Riku’s directions prove to be true as the sounds from earlier grow louder and louder as they approach the clearing.  Nagi finally identifies the commotion as the clash of blades against each other.

Finally they step into the clearing, and the first thing that catches Nagi’s attention is the girl outfitting a long robe. She huffs as she attempts to break through the deadlock, and she lets out a yell as she succeeds. This leaves the opposing bandit vulnerable, so she seizes the chance and effectively jabs him in the stomach with the butt of her sword. Her heavy breathing continues, as she scrambles to grab her tome quickly to prepare herself for an attack by the other surrounding bandits.

Strawberry blond hair and a sweet voice (despite the fact she was shouting her warcry), Nagi admires the girl’s lovely appearance. She also fought pretty excellently, but nothing much can be done about her sword being of the weaker bronze variety. He’ll simply do what he does best-- saving yet another from danger. He’s tempted to just jump into the fray recklessly, but he reminds himself that he’s to be a leader. So he should order his forces, right? “Riku! Banri! To arms!”

“Whoa, you sounded like a captain of knights there for a second, Nagi!” Riku exclaims, voice filled with awe as he readies his own staff. He shakes off his amazement, fixing his eyes on the girl.

“That’s Miss Tsumugi,” Banri mutters as he grabs his elthunder tome, “we have to save her. Riku, I suggest that you first attend to her wounds. Prince Nagi and I will try to hold off the rest.”

Both Riku and Nagi nod in agreement, and the three of them walk to the center of the clearing. After another exchange of glances, Riku runs straight into the middle of the combat with the objective of healing Tsumugi.

Nagi and Banri follow closely behind, with Banri pausing to open up the spellbook. “Elthunder!” He shouts, lightning eliciting out of the magical book and hitting the ruffian. The lord does nothing less as he engages one of the other bandits in a sword fight.

“Um, are you okay?” Riku asks hesitantly as he casts his healing magic on the girl. For a moment she looks completely shocked, but after his magic takes effect her expression grows more relaxed.

She smiles at him, “much better now thanks to you, um…”

“I’m Riku Nanase.” He introduces himself, returning with a smile of his own. “It seems tough here, but just know that I'll be here to heal!”

“What a relief, I ran out of vulneraries. I'm very much indebted to you, Riku.” Tsumugi tries to catch her breath again, her eyes turning to where the other ruffians should've been to surround her, but notice that they seem to be occupied with others. Her eyes widen when she seems to recognize one, “is that Mr. Banri?”

Riku nods vigorously, “yeah. I think we’ll talk later after the battle… do you think you can fight again?”

She bobs her head, electing to take out a tome of her own with the spell ‘elwind’. Riku blinks owlishly at the tome with some sort of amazement. “Whoa, you can use magic too?”

Tsumugi giggles, opening the book. “Yes, I think it’s more suited for me than it is to use a sword… I was cornered like that, so I didn’t have a chance to really use my magic. Right now, it would be easier for me to use magic since the enemies are so far away.” She turns from Riku to another enemy, and as she mutters the name of the spell, a full force of wind springs out of the book in the other’s direction. This noticeably affects them, and they turn more limp, clearly weakened by the spell.

“Thank you, Tsumugi.” A voice calls over, Riku immediately recognizing it as Banri’s. “I’ll leave them to you! There’s only--”

“Four more enemies to defeat, right? I’ll finish this bandit off and go attend to the sword user.” Tsumugi chirps in response, opening her tome again to cast another spell, “Elwind!”

* * *

After defeating the last enemy on the forest clearing, Nagi lets out a hefty sigh as he sticks his sword in the ground, too weary to hold it any longer. Before he ventures to go back to the rest of the team, a loud rumbling noise takes precedence. Bright violet lights resembling a portal emerge out of seemingly nowhere, and out from it comes the groaning undead. Not without a peep of complaint, Nagi pulls the sword out of the ground and begins to parry. “So it won’t end that easily…” Nagi murmurs, narrowing his eyes as he also gestures for the others to prepare themselves for another attack.

One after another drop onto the forest field of these ghastly creatures-- Nagi notes they may have been the ones the inn owner has mentioned -- and the four of them have to prepare for another wave of enemies. They move groggily and slowly, to their advantage, but they possess claws that hurt an awful lot. Otherwise, their defense and speed are quite low… However, they stand outnumbered against the many creatures.

“These are the monsters we’ve been hearing about!” Tsumugi exclaims once she has a chance to catch her breath, “seems like their defense is lower than their magical resistance. Magic is powerful nonetheless, but it might be better to rely on physical strength.” She reports, taking her own advice as she stows away her magic book and switches back to her bronze sword.

“My, that puts me at a disadvantage,” Banri sighs with a shake of his head, opting to glance down at his own tome. “There’s a name some of our guests have referred to them as. What was it…  **_Ritards_ ** ?”

Nagi nods, taking in the information. “OH… so that is the name. However, that doesn’t matter. We seem to be outnumbered, no?”

Riku moves around his staff, and glances at it accusingly, “if only this worked as a blunt attack... It might not have enough effect, though…”

“You never know, Riku! Give it a try!” Tsumugi urges him, only to be silenced by a yell coming from the prince.

“NO! NO! That’s against game mechanics!”

“Game... what?”

The question is left unanswered as more of the ritards move closer to them, previously placed far away. Luckily by now the portal has closed and disappeared, but… that doesn’t change the fact that the whole party is exhausted. Riku seems to be struggling too, and Nagi notes that the stave he holds is wearing down quickly. Good thing Nagi warned him not to use it as a weapon, otherwise it might’ve broken already…

Riku casts another heal spell on Nagi, despite the prince’s outright denial for it, and then he notes that his trusty stave seems to completely snap in half. “H-Huh? I didn’t even do anything!”

“Riku, weapons and staves alike have a limited amount of uses.” Tsumugi informs him, her expression a bit contorted due to her own fatigue. “You don’t happen to have another one on you..?”

“No… this was the one I had ever since I left the monastery…” He frowns, “I had no idea there was a limited amount of uses. So does that mean Nagi’s sword will break too?”

Nagi chuckles, “Riku, I possess a sword of fine caliber here. Falchion will never break.”

Riku pouts, “what? I want a staff like that…”

“You two, we’re in a middle of a battle!” Banri interrupts with a sense of urgency apparent in his voice, and he rains down more of the Elthunder spell on a ritard, but his expression grows bleaker as he realize the sheer amount of monsters left. “This really is way too much… I didn’t think they would come out before sundown, but…”

“Should we make a tactical retreat?” Nagi whispers, “see how exhausted Riku is? His staff even broke!”

“A tactical retreat isn’t even possible at this point.” Tsumugi frowns, deciding to keep on pushing on as far as she can. “There’s just too many, we won’t have a chance to escape.”

Nagi shakes his head, and he moves away from Riku to venture ahead further to defeat more of the ritards. Banri follows suit, and so does Tsumugi-- hoping to lure them away from Riku. Despite the monsters’ distance, Riku detects an undeniable presence lurking upon him. He turns slightly, his eyes widening from surprise as he notices that a ritard they have overlooked has come behind him. Without a stave to guard himself, he closes his eyes as he braces himself for the attack-- raising his arms and crossing them as a makeshift shield.

The scratch never comes, and Riku warily opens one eye to check if the monster was still there. Instead, he notices an arrow lodged in its body. But no one he knew wielded a bow..?

Footsteps resound as Riku ponders on the source of the attack, and he notices a figure become bigger as they come closer to him. Upon a closer proximity, there is a white-haired boy (not much older than him) with a bow and arrow in his hands. An archer? “T-Thank you so much!” He exclaims quickly in response, dipping his head as he anxiously looks at the creature, awaiting its next move. It tries to lunge for him again, but is cut off by another shot of the white haired boy’s. “You saved me again…”

“I think you should be safe now.” The newcomer smiles, but his expression hardens as he shifts his gaze outward to glance at the seemingly never ending numbers. “So there’s more of these creatures? How strange, they don’t usually come out until night…” He bites his lip, but shakes his head. He steps forward more, with the intent of helping the others. Before he passes Riku, he stops and reaches into his pocket. He hands him bottles with almost ethereal vials of shining blue liquid, to which Riku glances quizzically at. “Oh, drink that and you’ll feel better in no time. Just shout in case another ritard manages to slip past and attack you, okay?”

Unsure of how to respond, Riku nods dumbly and watches the other stride past confidently. Riku begins to smile himself, but immediately is left dumbfounded as he inspects the mysterious vials. Maybe it’s a potion..? Like one of those vulneraries, but way more potent. Figuring he should give it a try, he sets two aside in his own bag. Then he eyes the item again, but shrugs and plucks open the cork sealing it shut. He brings the vial to his lips, and tips it over to allow the liquid to fall into his mouth. The taste is actually quite amazing, and there's something about it that makes him feel compelled to continue glugging it down. So he does, and disappointment washes over him upon the realization he has reached the last drop. He thinks that maybe he should plan on conserving these for the future… Riku moves around, noticing how his fatigue has no effect on him at this point, and he grins. That must've done some sort of healing, then, but something about it felt so luxurious. Riku shuffles over to a further away point from the fray, and notices something sparkling a few units over. Maybe..? 

“Hey, wait a minute! It's just a stick!” Riku grumbles, picking it up from the ground. Disappointment evident in his mien, he decides to swing the twig in the air for a while for effect. “I can't even use a stick as a weapon properly…” He laments, deciding to stow away the twig for now.

**> Riku obtained a tree branch!**

* * *

The mysterious Archer finishes off the last enemy, and immediately Nagi comes up to him with a surprised look. Nagi narrows his gaze, studying the other’s features before finally identifying the identity of the newcomer. “Sougo? Is that you?”

Sougo smiles sheepishly, and dips his head. “It's been a while, Prince Nagi. Considering where we have known each other in the past, it's very shocking to see us cross paths here.”

“Yes… I will not inquire further about the cause of your whereabouts now, but in exchange for your aid I will fill you in on my situation.” The prince clears his throat, and begins to explain the condition of the castle at the moment. Too engrossed with his own story to notice, the other three make their way to the two of them and begin to listen in on their conversation. 

“So the first prince really has been neglecting the war…” Sougo keeps his mouth open for a bit longer as if he wanted to say something else, but he quickly closes it.

“Sougo, if you currently have nowhere to go…” Nagi smiles, “why not come with Riku and I? You know my plight now, yes?”

Sougo blinks, twiddling his thumbs as he seemingly hesitates to give a definite answer. “It may seem our interests are aligned… well, if you lot will be happy to have me.”

“Really?” Riku chimes in, his eyes sparkling, “to think someone as strong as you will be coming with us..! Let's do our best, Sougo!”

The two smile at each other genially for a moment, only to be interrupted quickly bc Tsumugi speaking up. “I apologize if I seem imprudent, but… would it be fine if I joined as well? I want to help Northmare, too.”

Nagi lights up immediately, “YES! Of course, my girl. Your beauty is a wonderful sight for eyes weary of looking at men all day..!”

“Oi, Nagi!” Riku interjects indignantly, only to be cut off by the prince opting to continue his flattery.

“You have been a brilliant asset in this battle, Tsumugi. If so possible, I would whisk you away and make you the princess if I had the chance!” He exclaims, walking over to face the girl and dips his head in a graceful bow. “It would be my honor to have you fight my my side. Of course, there w--”

“I can fight pretty well, Prince Nagi!” Tsumugi enthuses, pumping a fist up whilst gesturing to her own equipped weaponry. “Also, it seems you so far have lacked proper strategy. I’m still quite inexperienced with my own tactics, but if possible I would like to help out.”

Banri chuckles, “Miss Tsumugi, you've done an excellent job of guiding us today. We will see what Boss says about her joining you. I feel like he may feel more at ease of I came along as well, so will that be a problem..?”

“Nope!” Riku chirps, “the more, the merrier! Nagi, at this rate we'll have enough people to take on a whole army!”

“Oh, yes!” Nagi cheers with Riku, “it's truly nice to have friends! We will be strong enough to save Northmare, I know it.”

“For now, I think we should return to the inn. Shall we?” Banri asks, and the rest of them nod in agreement. 

* * *

**> STARTING SUPPORT LOG…**

**Riku:** Hey, Sougo..! 

**Sougo:** Hm? It's you, Riku. Do you need something? 

**Riku:** Mm, no… I just wanted to talk, that's all. I was just thinking about how nice you are. 

**Sougo:** … nice?

**Riku:** Yeah, just like my brother! He was the kindest person I have ever known. I… am actually looking for him right now. 

**Sougo:** …

**Riku:** Oh! Sorry, that was pretty sudden. Sorry if it seems like I'm just dumping this all on you…

**Sougo:** No, no. I was just thinking. Your brother must've been an amazing person… we are sure to find him on this journey.

**Riku:** I hope so too. Sougo, you really do remind me of him! 

**Sougo:** Haha, do I? I'm happy to hear that. I'd like to hear more of this brother of yours. Do you have any stories? 

**Riku:** Well, it was from back when we were really young…

**Sougo:** (Just like his brother, huh…)   
**Sougo:** (Hearing that makes me a little happy.)

**Riku and Sougo have reached C Support.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i'm giving up on levels. we're just gonna pretend they've leveled up accurately. currently in our party we have  
> nagi - lord  
> riku - priest  
> sougo - archer  
> tsumugi - tactician  
> banri - mage
> 
> technically tsumugi and banri are not part of the party until the next chapter, but here's what their classes are just in case! and george will return...  
> also, i'm sorry this chapter was so long ahkfljash i didn't want to split it up... honestly the chapter length will vary a lot depending on the amount of characters i decide to introduce, and in the future when we've recruited more characters there will be more supports. the ones i write in is placed as a plot thing, but you're of course welcome to request a specific support you'd like to see and i'll try to put it in the next chapter!
> 
> again, thank you for reading! if you'd like to discuss it or whatever you can find me on twitter @shineonthesea!


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